President Obama today signed into law a two month extension of the payroll tax cut, which means that 160 million American workers will not see their paychecks shrink starting Jan 1, 2012. The President thanked Congress for ending the stalemate and urged them to keep working to reach an agreement that extends this tax cut as well as unemployment insurance through all of 2012, saying it is the right thing to do for American families and for the economy, and called it “a boost that we very much need right now.”

President Obama signed on Saturday the defense authorization bill, formally ending weeks of heated debate in Congress and intense lobbying by the administration to strip controversial provisions requiring the transfer of some terror suspects to military custody.

“I have signed this bill despite having serious reservations with certain provisions that regulate the detention, interrogation, and prosecution of suspected terrorists,” Obama said in a statement accompanying his signature.

The AP has more from the signing statement: “My administration will not authorize the indefinite military detention without trial of American citizens. Indeed, I believe that doing so would break with our most important traditions and values as a nation.”

Update:

President Barack Obama prepares to sign legislation in the Oval Office, Jan. 3, 2012. Staff Secretary Rajesh De is pictured at left.

Washington (CNN) — Gabrielle Giffords’ final piece of legislation is now law.

President Barack Obama signed the bill in the Oval Office at the White House on Friday with the former Arizona congresswoman and her husband, Mark Kelly, looking on.

The the Ultralight Aircraft Smuggling Prevention Act of 2012 closes a loophole that treated the use of ultralight aircraft to help with drug smuggling different from the use of other aircraft. Now, their use can bring a long jail sentence and stiff fines.

Update:

April 02 2012

WASHINGTON, April 4 (UPI) — U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law Wednesday legislation that bans insider trading by Congress.

The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012 prohibits members of Congress, executive branch employees, federal judges and judicial employees from using “non-public information derived from their official positions for personal profit,” the White House said.

The new law also requires that financial forms of certain federal employees be made available to the public electronically.

This afternoon, President Obama signed legislation that takes two important steps to help fulfill our nation’s obligations to our veterans and their families.

First, the new law offers extended care to a group of servicemembers who were based at Camp Lejeune with their families during a period when contaminated water caused major medical issues for a number of individuals.

Among those standing with the President at today’s bill signing were Jerry Ensminger, a Marine Corps veteran who has been an advocate for affected families, and Mike Partain, who was born at Camp Lejuene and later developed male breast cancer. The bill the President signed was named after Janey Ensminger, the Master Sargeant’s daughter who passed away from leukemia at age nine.

The District of Columbia achieved a small victory in the fight for equal representation on Thursday as President Obama signed a law allowing a statue of the abolitionist Frederick Douglass to be displayed in the Capitol.

Congress passed the bill last week allowing the District of Columbia its first statue in the Capitol. In addition to living, breathing representation in the form of two senators and a number of representatives, each state is allotted two statues to represent it in the halls of Congress.

President Obama on Tuesday signed into law legislation that gives Apollo-era astronauts full ownership of artifacts they kept from the missions they flew.

The bill was approved by the House last week by voice vote, and approved by unanimous consent by the Senate early Saturday morning.

The legislation was introduced by House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chairman Ralph Hall (R-Texas) in response to attempts by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to claim ownership of some artifacts from Apollo mission, such as mission logs, flight manuals and other mementos. NASA’s attempt to recapture some of these artifacts was exposing Apollo astronauts to liability, and was complicating efforts by some astronauts to sell or donate some of these articles.

US President Barack Obama signs H.R. 6156, the Russia and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, on December 14, 2012 in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC (AFP Photo / Mandel Ngan)

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has signed into law a bill granting lifetime Secret Service protection to former presidents and their wives.

The measure Obama signed Thursday applies to presidents elected after Jan. 1, 1997, specifically Obama and former President George W. Bush. It reverses a 1994 law that ended Secret Service protection 10 years after a president leaves office. Under that law, the Homeland Security secretary could extend such protection on a temporary basis.

A sponsor of the bill, Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, says increased terrorist threats and the greater mobility and youth of former presidents made the change necessary.

The new law also authorizes Secret Service protection for the children of former presidents until they turn 16.

President Barack Obama signed legislation Wednesday aimed at increasing the availability of epinephrine in schools, saying the law will help people like his daughter, Malia, who suffers from a peanut allergy.

The medicine can help prevent adverse reactions and death in children with severe food allergies.

The law, which took two years to move through Congress, comes after two students — one in Illinois and one in Virginia — died after ingesting peanuts and suffering an anaphylactic reaction while at school. The law provides an incentive to states to boost the stockpile of epinephrine at schools.

“This is something that will save children’s lives,” Mr. Obama said at a ceremony to sign the bill, adding that “some people may know that Malia actually has a peanut allergy.” Mr. Obama said making sure so-called EpiPens are available in case of emergency in schools “is something that every parent can understand.”

These achievements need to be advertised up the wazoo! All over the place and regularaly so the public does not forget does not forget to vote and does not forget to vote for Obama and Democrats in other political elections.

Black Girls Rock!

Flickr Photos

Potus Takes Oath of Office

Flotus & Daughters at Great Wall of China

My Brothers Keeper

AFRO PUFFS

Most Adorable Shoe Stealer

Six Little Babies

Fatherhood

Even though 3Chics Politico is written and curated by three women: Ametia, Rikyrah, and SouthernGirl2, I must nominate this as one of the most engaging blogs I've found. Devoted to politics and culture, these three shine a light on contemporary life with humor and spirit.